YOUNG MAN

In this city's desert morning 
sinful heat of Summers 
vagabond streets eating away whats left
of joyful youth's humanity

Thin and mild mannered
tattoo novice ink 
inarticulate drawings of adolescent spunk
gnarly scabs a missing tooth
walking dead in flip flops
pain clawing his expression 
no loss in its translation
Need is loud - a vagrant shout
but I have no money to give...

Young man, in his wife beater tank,
smears of dirt and wastrel work
crawling through the black
though this morning's blinding 
sobriety forces its friendship on you
find a way back...Young man, 

here's some breakfast
warm and steady
in the war-time melee of your stomach
empty as the shame that must be lingering
in your pulse,
here's some shoes and water too
keep cool in this hateful heat
keep on toward home
toward mother's arms 
if that's all the choice you got
survive or not

Here's a moment kindly passing
not a dollar or a hit,
I hope you make it to the next one 
and maybe another kindness will be won
in the ripples of this pond
where loss is the stone
you are sinking
below the surface deeply hidden

it's only a matter of realizing,
we are born to swim 
we're made of lightning
when you resurface be strong and kindly
wash away the dark nightly chiding

Young man I see this morning crying
will wake and learn 
he's the only one he's fighting
human kind and life and time  

appears to be casualties 
in the mind
when we mindlessly dis' & gorge on wish
for something equal, 
gold and fine...

Young man, "god bless" he says 
goodbye 
there nothing left to hold on to
but your soul's worth and hearts
and those who love you
that is what you were searching to find?

Yourself in their eyes...